


...Yup, This is a NOBLE mission...

by DragoLord19D



Category: Halo, Mass Effect
Genre: Cross-posted on SpaceBattles, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-04
Updated: 2014-03-02
Packaged: 2017-12-10 10:25:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/784995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragoLord19D/pseuds/DragoLord19D
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I was sitting here playin' Halo Anniversary & started thinkin'...</p><p>What if instead of the Jiralhanae(Brutes) findin' Harvest, what if it was the Sanghelli(Elites)...</p><p>The Sanghelli ship went to the Prophets who promptly declared them heretic and tries to dispose of the ship but the info gets out and over a third of the Covenant fleet defected to the 'Reclaimers'.</p><p>Now a strange tuning fork shaped artifact has discovered on the far reaches of the System Alliance's space...</p><p>...But there have been whispers of colonies disappearing with only one clue...</p><p>...THE FLOOD IS COMING...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Fate's a fickle bitch.

Sometimes it's good, sometimes bad, sometimes it's all in a flip of a coin.

In this case, it changes the fate of a entire universe.

...All in the hands of one nameless Grunt.

This Grunt (We'll call him Doe) has been given a very important mission. The delivery of various ships orders to the ships.

*Trip* "Whoops!" Doe  _drops_ the orders.

As he hurriedly stuffs the orders back into their various folders, he comes across two he has no idea where they belong.

One set of orders is to check out a world with a high concretion of Forerunner technology, the other is a scouting mission in the other direction.

He looks at the two ships still without orders, an Jiralhanae and a Sanghelli.

And  _here_ is where fate comes into play, here's how.

He closes his eyes and randomly grabs a set of orders & a ship's folder and stuffs them together.

In one version of this universe, the Jiralhanae got the orders to investigate the world with the high concretion of Forerunner technology, beginning 30 years of bloodshed and war.

But in this one, the Sanghelli did. Changing  _everything..._

Now instead waiting thirty years to spark the Sanghelli revolt, with the Prophet's order to destroy the 'Heretic' ship broadcasting the news of the human 'Reclaimers' before it could spread it's 'Heresy'. Sadly too little, too late, though. By the end of 'The Rending' as the battle between the Covenant forces loyal to the Prophets (Which consisted mostly the Jiralhanae and the more fanatical Sanghelli and Grunts) against those who refused to destroy the Reclaimers, over a third of the Covenant forces defected to the humans, bring with them both information and technology.

After fifteen years of war, the Alliance consisting of the UNSC and the Sanghelli struck a distinctive blow to the Covenant with the destruction of High Charity in the 'Battle of the Ring'

What surviving Covenant forces were forced into pirating, mercenary work, or simply disappearing.

And so a semi-easy peace broke out, The Systems Alliance Treaty was signed and both the Human and Sanghelli races moved forward. The other never forgetting that the other helping save the other.

...But sadly, Fate decides to be a bitch once more...

* * *

**Chapter One:**

**Reach Orbit, Repair & Resupply Station #19D**   
**0436(Station Time)05/24/2562(Military Calendar)**

**_Beep-beep! Beep-beep! Beep-be_ CRUNCH!**

Carmen Sheperd closed her eye, thanking the hangover gods that the clock had shut up when she suddenly realized three things.

1) She was _not_ in her bunk (Not a problem, she was on leave)

2) There was something warm, naked, and female asleep in her arms (Still not a problem, she was on leave)

3) That she had  _less_  then a hour and a half until her leave was  _over!_ (BIG PROBLEM!)

 _'Shit!'_ Carmen slowly slides her arm from underneath the sleeping woman, _'I gotta get!'_

She ducks into the woman's shower, quickly scrubbing last night off her skin.

As she quickly pulls on her whites, she writes the redheaded woman _'God, what was her name? Something... Chambers...'_ a note apologizing for disappearing on her.

Leaving the note on her now vacant pillow, she hurries down the hallway, overnight bag over her shoulder.

* * *

With forty minutes to spare she walks thru the airlock and pops her back with a sigh.

"Rough night, Shepard?"

Carmen pops up, saluting the approaching captain, "Good Morning, Captain Anderson! I..."

"...spent it eating, drinking, and being merry?"

"...Preetty much, sir." She gratefully accepting the cup of coffee he offered her.

The two soldiers sit, watching the stars and sipping their coffee.

"Did you hear our new orders?"

Shepard cocks a eyebrow, "No sir, when they come in?"

He huffs and takes a sip from his mug, "Last night, we were assigned to the Shanxi defense force."

Shepard's eyes widen, "Shanxi? Shanxi is barely a  _colony_ _,_ why the hell would it need it's own defense force?"

Anderson smirks at the look of shock on Shepard's face, "Because they found something unusual insystem and Alliance Command wants some firepower there just in case."

"No offense, sir. But  _firepower?_  The Normandy has two MAP* cannons, Six Sabers, two Warthogs..."

"...Two Platoons of ODSTs and your SPARTAN squad, Shepard. The Normandy may be a light frigate, but she can punch above her weight."

He raises his voice, "...Isn't that right EDI?"

A floating eyeball appears over a nearby holo-projector,  **"Yes, sir. I believe we would destroy minimum of three Covenant cruisers before our destruction..."**

**_*WOOP-WOOP!_ THIS IS A TOTAL RECALL ORDER FOR ALL ALLIANCE MILITARY PERSONAL! REPORT TO YOUR DUTY-STATION, THIS IS A CODE BLACK  _WOOP-WOOP!_ THIS IS A TOTAL RECALL ORDER...***

* * *

Anderson enters his bridge, Shepard on his heels.

"WHAT THE  _HELL_  IS GOING ON!" He bellows.

The Communications Officer replies, "SIR! We are receiving a SOS from Shanxi!"

He pipes the SOS through a speaker,  ** _"This is SA Frigate A Moonlit Dream! We are under attack by unknown alien forces! They are emerging from the artifact! I repeat, This is SA Frigate A Moonlit Dream! We are under attack by unknown alien forces! Requesting backup immediately!"_**

Anderson turns to his Navigation Officer, "Time to reach Shanxi, Sork?"

Sork 'Barutumee, one of the few Sanghelli onboard, straighten and replied, "Three Terran hours, Shipmas-" He shakes his head, "-Captain."

He pats the Sanghelli on his shoulder, "Very well, 'Barutumee. Communications? Request immediate disengagement from the dock and Slipsteam departure from Control."

"Yes SIR!" Anderson turns to Shepard as the officer urgently speaks to Control, "Shepard, I want you, your SPARTAN squad, and ODSTs ready to hotdrop as soon as we drop out of Slip, understood Lieutenant?"

She salutes and hurries away.

* * *

As Shepard hurries into the SPARTAN's armoring room, her jaw drops at the sight of the empty room, "EDI!  _WHERE the_ FUCK  _is the rest of my team!"_

EDI's eye appeared,  **"Lieutenant, jg Alenko Kaidan is on his way from his quarter to your location. Chief Petty Officers Jun and Jorge are not on the ship at this time."**

 _'Fuck...'_ Carmen pinches the bridge of her nose, "EDI, could you please inform the captain that I only have two SPARTANs operational at this time?"

"Of course." As EDI's hologram dissipated Kaidan hurries in, "...shitShit..." He notices Shepard and snaps to attention, "Ma'am! Lieutenant Alenko Kaidan reporting for duty!"

She waves a salute back, "At ease, Kaidan." She gestures around her, "As you can see, we're not at full strength thanks to our sudden departure. So, armor up Kaidan. We prep to drop in a hour."

* * *

She steps into the SO,EIV*** room, placing her War Master helmet on. All of the ODST troopers, human and Sanghelli, eyes turn to her,  _ **"Alright troopers, we've got some Alpha Bravos** thinking they can come though their artifact and kill SA personal. Why don't we show them why that's not a good idea, hm?"**_

"YES MA'AM!"

EDI appears, **"Arrival in the Shanxi system in ten minutes, Lieutenant Shepard. I recommend to prepare for launch."**

 ** _"You heard her, boys and girls."_** She steps into her assigned SO,EIV,  ** _"Get in your coffins, it's time to earn your extra 50 credits a months."_**

After the pod seals her two platoon leaders and junior Lieutenant appears on her pod's HUD, **_"I'm assigning Bravo platoon to Lieutenant Kaidan, understood?"_**

The two men nod.

EDI appears,  **"We have arrived in the Shanxi system, Lieutenant Shepard. According to what remaining SA assets has in the area the unknown alien species is landing on Shanxi. General Williams of the Shanxi Army is still holding firebase Johnson but they are under attack as we speak. The Captain will be jumping into Shanxi's upper atmosphere and launching you as reinforcements."**

Shepard studies the map surrounding the threatened firebase,  _ **"Alright..."**_ She designates a place on the map, **_"Here's the landing zone, once we land proceed to Firebase Johnson. We_ need  _to hold it for reinforcements, understood?"_**

The three men nod. She nods back and flips a switch, broadcasting to all of the pods.  ** _"Alright Helljumpers, listen up! We're reinforcing a firebase here,"_** The LZ is sent to their HUDs,  ** _"If we don't hold that base we'll won't ever pry the Alpha Bravos** out! So, Helljumpers... How do you_ die?"**

The reply rang out, "FEET FIRST!"

EDI chimed in, **"Launch in 3..."**

**"HOW?"**

**"2..."**

**"FEET FIRST!"**

**"1..."**

**_"I CAN'T_ HEAR  _YOU, HOW DO YOU_ DIE?"**

**"Launch."**

**_"FEET FIRST!"_ **

50 SO,EIVs go screaming into Shanxi's atmosphere.

* * *

General Williams rereads the piece of paper in front of him and scrubs his eyes. The paper contained a communication from the 'Birds' as his soldiers had nicknamed the aliens, requesting his surrender. He glances at the wall, the picture of his daughter's bootcamp graduation picture hanging next to his wife's picture. He stands, his decision made. He picks up the paper and opens the door, nearly running into someone's fist.

He steps back,  _"Whoa!"_

Instead of hitting his face, it hits his chest.

The mortified private pops to attention, "SIR! There's news!"

"The Birds send another surrender request?" Williams starts walking towards the radio room, dust falling as the Bird's artillery pounds the base.

"No Sir."

He stops, "What do you mean?"

"The SA Frigate Normandy is in atmosphere dropping her ODST & SPARTANs as reinforcements."

He waves off the news, "The Normandy only carries two platoons of ODST and..." He stops, "...The Normandy wasn't here when the Bird's attacked, were they?"

"No Sir."

William hoots and slaps the private's shoulder, "The buoy got thru!"

"Yes Sir!"

"HAH!" He turns and starts running towards the C&C bunker.

The nameless private bends over and picks up the piece of paper the general had dropped, "SIR! You dropped something!"

He sticks his head back around the corner, "No I didn't!" Leaving the private standing there with the paper and a dropped jaw.

* * *

*Magnetically Accelerated Plasma

**Alien Bastards

***Single-Occupant, Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**  

**50,000 feet above Shanxi**

**_Puf-puf-puf-puf-puf-puf-puf-_ BUF!**

**_*Warning!_ Critical Damage To Number Three Repulser Pad.  _Warning!_ You Have Entered A Ballistic-* CRUNCH!**

"Yah, yah BB*, I know..." Shepard murmured as she started strapping her beloved DMR to her chest-plate.

She scans the ground, looking for a worthy target. An AA gun catches her eye,  _'Perfect'._ She nudges the SO,EIV's** stick, bringing the two ton craft inline with the AA's position.

Around 30,000 feet an AA gun in the position notices the falling craft and started firing on the SO,EIV. Shepard smirks as the SO,EIV's fully recharged shields shrugs off the flak as she brings up the pod's self-destruct program.

At 20,000 feet she preps the explosive bolts and at 15,000 blows them, sucking her out of the pod.

45 seconds later, 5 feet above the ground, the pod's reactor detonates, destroying the AA guns.

* * *

**A few hundred feet above the crater**

_Ppppppppppfffffff! Ppppppppppfffffff!_ Shepard observes the destroyed AA position as she slowed her fall with her S-12 Jump-pack.  _'Well, that worked'_

A few seconds later the two-ton woman lands, her jump-jets folding back into her War Master armor.

After running a quick 360 security check she opens her comms system,  ** _"This is NOBLE actual to all NOBLEs, report."_**

**"Sergeant Willett, Second Squad, Ma'am."**

She frowns as she hurries towards the signal,  ** _"Willett? What happened to Douglas?"_**

 **"AA fire, Ma'am. Took a direct hit just as we entered lower atmo."** Gunfire echoes over his mike,  **"Ma'am, We are in contact with hostile forces!"**

She uses her jump-pack to get to higher ground,  ** _"I'm a little less then a klick from your position, dig in and hold on."_**

**"Yes, Ma'am!"**

* * *

A few minutes later her motion tracker pings a hostile a few feet ahead. She slides around the corner with one of her M6S in hand, drawing a bead on the alien.

It stood about her height, vaguely avian in appearance. It had it's back to her, firing towards where the squad's signal was coming from.

The rifle in it's grip beeps and ejects a tube, causing the alien to duck back behind it's cover... And to see Shepard pointing a pistol at it.

Instead of reloading the alien drops the rifle and tackles Shepard, knocking her pistol away. It rears back, a _blade_  appearing on it's wrist. As it slashes downward, Carmen grabs the falling wrist one-handed and _squeezes._ The alien howls as she feels the grinding of it's bones, the blade vanishing as the alien's wrist bones crunch. The howl of pain choke off as Shepard's other hand wraps around it's throat.

_Squeeze, **Crunch.**_

She pushes the body off of her and stands, wiping blood off of her visor. After recovering and holstering her pistol she search the body for info and ammo for the alien's rifle. She discovered more cylinders like what the rifle ejected and several disk-shaped grenades but no info. The wrist she had crushed had what looked like a holo-projector wrapped around it. She shrugs and hefts the fallen alien's rifle, placing it on a open weapon stripe.

She leans out and takes a peek around the alien's former cover,  ** _"You hear me, Willett?"_**

**"Yes, Ma'am!"**

**_"I'm almost there, I want suppressing fire on all hostiles locations..."_** She draws her second pistol  ** _"NOW!"_**

Carmen broke cover just as the ODST's suppressive fire drove the alien squad back into their cover... and into her pistol fire.

The alien's shielding would only absorb two rounds from her pistols before breaking, the body-armor one. As the aliens were distracted by the attack to their rear the ODSTs pressed the attack, quickly ending the skirmish.

A ODST with sergeant stripes hurries up to her, "Lieutenant! It's good to see you!"

She holsters her pistols,  ** _"Sigrep, Willett."_**

He reloads his BR55, eyes scanning the area, "I've got thirteen effectives, five wounded, three walking."

**"Transportation?"**

"3 Civvy four-wheelers. I've got the two non-walking already loaded into one."

**"Good. We're about three klicks from the firebase, we're going to thunder run it and pray that the General still holds it."**

He nods, "Yes  _Ma'am!"_ **  
**

* * *

 ** _"...incoming SA personal!"_  **Carmen curses and swings to the right, barely avoiding a artillery round detonating where she would have been if she hadn't swerved. _**"I retransmit. Firebase Johnson, This is SPARTAN Carmen Shepard of NOBLE Team requesting that you open the goddamn gate! You have incoming SA personal with the hounds of hell on our ass!"**_

The blast-gate remained closed.

She takes a peek in her rearview mirror, just in time to watch one of commandeered four-wheelers take a round, the explosion flipping the vehicle.  _ **"Damnit!"**_

**"SPARTAN 71988-C, You have 60 seconds to get your ass in here!"**

She whips her head back to the now opening gate,  _ **"WILCO!"**_

The two surviving four-wheelers raced through the gate, artillery shells falling like rain on the battered firebase.

"SPARTAN! IN HERE!" An soldier dressed in army camo waves her down.

She ducks into the bunker,  _ **"Yes?"**_

He salutes, "The General needs to talk to you, Ma'am!"

* * *

General Williams is standing in front of a holo-displayed map of the firebase and surrounding area, directing the firebase's defense.

"...I want those ODSTs reinforcing the west wall! Lee!" An smart AI appears on a different holo-projector, "How's the ECM*** coming?"

The AI, dressed in CSA**** cavalry grays, snorts,  **"Their AIs are _pitiful!_ A  _Dumb_  AI could outwit them!"**

General Williams nods, "Keep at it. I want their computers ready to crash and burn as soon as the relief fleet is here." He turns from the holo-display, "I must say, it's good to see you, SPARTAN. Where's the rest of your team?"

Carmen winces,  _ **"I'm afraid it's just myself, my junior Lieutenant and the ODSTs. Due to our sudden departure my two petty officers were left behind."**_

"Ahhhh... That's too bad..." He turns back to the map, "Second and Twelfth Fleet will be here in five hours, we just need to hold out until then."

_**"Understood, sir."** _

He makes a gesture in the map, zooming it out, "Captain Anderson is doing a good job distracting the Turian fleet, his hit-n-runs are keeping them occupied."

**_"I'm sorry sir, Turian?"_ **

He gestures outside, "Our new  _friends,_  they call themselves the Turian Hierarchy." He turns the holo-projector, "Lee, could you explain a little better?"

 **"Of course, sir,"**  The AI appears,  **"The Turian Hierarchy"**  A picture of one of the avian aliens popped up,  **"seems to be a member of a Council consisting of them, the Asari Republics,**  A almost human alien female appeared, the only major different between them and humans was their skin-color and having some sort of short tentacles instead of hair,  **and the Salarian Union"**  A lizard-like alien joined the other two,  **"plus a dozen associate members but it seems that these three species are the main movers and shakers."**

**_"I see."_ **

**"I also recovered a translation program from their systems,"**  A glowing envelope appeared in his hand, he holds it out. **"Here you are."**

**_"Thank you."_ **

* * *

**Five hours later**

**_"I want a Jackhammer team up here NOW!"_**  Shepard called as she empties the BR55 she had scavenged from one of her fallen ODST into a closing Turian soldier. Two soldiers hurry to her position, one toting a missile launcher.  _ **"We need to take that tank out!"**_  She points towards a Turian hover-tank strafing the wall, covering the advance of it's infantry.

The rocketeer nods, eyeing the tank thru his scope. "Here's some fried chicken with a side of  **BOOM!"** , He sings out as he rapid-fires the two rockets. The first breaking the tank's shield, the second turning it into a pile of scrap and shrapnel.

"A-BOO- _ARGH!_ " The rocketeer screams as a round passes thru his left shoulder. Carmen covered the wounded soldier as his partner sealed the wound with biofoam.  _ **"Get him to the medbay!"**_

"Yes Ma'am! Come on Ron..." As the wounded soldier was carried away her radio crackles,  **"Hostiles at the east wall! They have-"** Suddenly the frantic call was cut off by the deafening sound of an explosion and tearing steel, the transmission lingering to broadcast the rhythmic pounding of weapon fire for a fleeting moment before coming to an abrupt end.

Shepard spins around just in time to watch a section of the east wall disappear in a ball of flames,  _ **"Damnit!"**_

She starts sprinting towards the breach.  _ **"Shepard to Williams. We have a breach in the east wall, I am on my way but I will need reinforcements."**_

**"Understood, I'm diverting your SPARTAN Louie and some unneeded command personal."**

**_"Understood."_ **

* * *

As she rounds the final building she surveys the damage. The breach was only a few feet wide but several of the birds were coming thru, their rifles firing.

After deposing of a few assault waves, she ducks behind some disposable cover to reload.

"Hell of a fight eh, SPARTAN?"

Her head shoots up, surprised to see General Williams crouching next to her loading a shotgun,  _ **"SIR! What are YOU doing here?"**_

"Well, you needed reinforcements and I wasn't doing any good at the C&C bunker..." he pops up and pumps two rounds into a closing Turian and ducks back down, "...so I figured I'd come down and help."

Carmen sighs and shakes her head,  _ **"Yes sir..."**_

A few waves later the Turians began to pull back. The General stands and starts yelling orders, "I want engineers up here NOW! I want barriers here and"  _BHFFFFFFFFFFFF! " **Ah!"**_  The General falls, clutching a wound in his lower chest.

A hunchbacked alien stomps in, carrying what looked like a LMG*****. Rifle empty, two rounds left in her pistols, there was only one thing left to do.

She charges, emptying the last two rounds into the alien's shielding.

A snap-kick knocks the LMG out of it's grip but the followup backhand was ducked under with surprising agility.

The alien rolls up a few feet away, it's fists up.

"Well, don't  _you_  have a quad, Human. I just wish I knew your name before I killed you..."

Shepard smirked,  _'The translation program's working fine...' **"I am SPARTAN Carmen Shepard of NOBLE Team..."**_  She brings up her fists.  _ **"And SPARTANs never die."**_

The alien looks at her and barks out a laugh,  _"HAH!_  I like you, SPARTAN. It's too bad I have to  _kill_  you!"

He charges.

She leaps out of the way, driving her right foot at where it looked like the alien's hip.

The crunching bone and the hobble to it's step was the only sign that the blow happened at all,  _"HAH!_  It's going to take more then a little kick to put  _this_  krogan down!" It charges again, this time not giving her time to jump away.

They start hammering each other, two immovable objects trying to make the other move.

After a few minutes both combatants were showing their injuries, the Krogan had blood oozing from it's wounds and Shepard wasn't much better. Her armor may be preventing her from being turned into red paste but even the strongest armor breaks after being hammered like she was.

 _**Crunch *Warning!**  _ **Armor Breach!**   ** _Warning!_  Armor Breach!***

She brings her knee up in the universal 'Get Off Me, Bitch!' move. As he steps back clutching his groin she glances around, looking for a way to end this fight.

She spots two choices, the General's shotgun or a piece of rebar.

_The shotgun could end this quick (but it could be empty). The rebar could end it just as quickly (but he could block it...)_

She dives for the shotgun, pointing it at the recovering Krogan.

_click_

She pumps it,  _click_

 _"Hah!_  Too bad, SPARTAN! Time to DIE!"

He charges again, going for the kill.

Shepard flips the shotgun, grabbing the barrel and spins in place.

The centripetal force plus the force-multiplying circuits in her MJOLNIR Power Assault Armor [GEN2] gives the ten pound shotgun more then enough force to shatter a Krogan's skull... if it had hit it. Instead of hitting the charging Krogan's skull like Shepard had intended, the buttstock hit right  _behind_  his head, on his hump. Instead of killing him, the pain and the injuries the blow inflicts knock him unconscious. 

Shepard runs to the fallen General, pausing only to grab some biofoam off of a dead medic. _ **"Stay with me, General!"**_

"...The  _stars..."_

_**"I'm sure the stars are very pretty sir but you need to stay with me General!"** _

"No, no, look at the  _STARS!"_

She glances up, just to humor him. A flash of light catches her eye. She frowns and activates her visor's zoom,  _'That looked like...'_

Her eye's widen in shock, **_"The Fleet!'_** She breaths.

General Williams chuckles and coughs, "We did it, Shepard.  _We did it!"_

* * *

*Bitchin' Betty

**Single-Occupant, Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle

***Electronic countermeasures

****Confederate States of America

*****Light MachineGun


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three:  
  
Four Weeks Later  
  
SA-BB(Battleship) 'Against All Enemies', Starboard Viewport  
  
New Eden, High Orbit**  
  
"Congratulation on your promotion lieutenant  _commander_  Shepard."  
  
She turns, a smile tugging her lip, "And congratulations on your's,  _Captain_ Anderson..."  
  
Anderson steps beside her, observing the stars and ships outside the massive ship.   
  
Red lights start to flash as the viewport starts to close  _ ***Woop!**_ **Gravity fluctuations detected at the Relay. All hands to battle-stations!** _Woop!_ I Repeat, gravity fluctuations detected at the Relay. All hands to battle-stations!*  
  
Anderson turns to Shepard, a wry grin on his face, "They're  _HE~RE..."_

* * *

She tugged on her dress whites' collar, the maple leaf on her collar felt like it was laying wrong.  
  
"You Shepards never  _did_  enjoy dressing nice, do you?"  
  
A cloud of cigar smoke followed the man, gray may speckle his hair but his Marine dress uniform was creased to the T and his shoes shined as brightly as the Terran Medal of Honor around his throat.  
  
Carmen pops to attention, "Sergeant-Major Johnson! What are you doing here?"  
  
He steps beside her, "Just came to get a gander at the new aliens, that's all." He pokes her, "and I've  _told_  you  _Carmen,_ call me Avery."  
  
"As bad as your father..." he mutters as a small shuttle slips into the bay and lands with a barely a whisper.   
  
A ramp extended from the rear of the craft, down which the ambassador, her aide, and two armored Turians emerge. Although from the armor and the symbol on their chest it seemed that these two were SPECTREs.  
  
Carmen's mind started wandering as soon as the speeches started, she tried to stay on task by mentally reciting the square root of Pie (Her record was to number 105) but sadly all it was doing was making her eyes drift close.   
  
After giving herself a sharp mental shake her eyes started drifting over the ambassador and entourage. From the feeling of  _age_ she was getting from the ambassador she was most likely a Matriarch, according to the information ONI had ripped from the Turian databanks that had been captured that meant she was at least over a thousand years old. Carmen felt a touch of awe at the thought that the woman in front of her had likely been born before Christopher Columbus had even had set foot on the New World...  
  
A slight movement catches her eye. The aide had shifted, a look of discomfort on her face.  
  
Shepard studied her face. She wasn't sure but she wasn't getting the same feeling of age from her, she was most likely a maiden...  _'Although the freckles are cute...'_  
  
Carmen jumped slightly when applause erupted around her.  
  
As the bay emptied and she turned to leave her comm beeped, the screen simply showing  **'Udina'**  "Yes Ambassador?"  
  
 _ **"Ah, Shepard. Could you meet me in my office in a hour?"**_  
  
"Of course Sir."

* * *

Finally out of her uncomfortable whites and back in her normal 'uniform', Shepard knocked on Ambassador Udina's door exactly one hour later.  
  
"Come in!"  
  
She opens the door and steps in. The human ambassador was sitting sitting behind his desk, he looks up from what he was working on, "Ah, Shepard. Just in time, I was" A knock on the door interrupts, "Ah they're here."  
  
 ** _"Sir?"_**  
  
The door opens, reveling the two SPECTREs standing on the other side, "Gentlebeings, this is SPARTAN Lieutenant Commander Shepard. All security questions should be directed to her."  
  
 _'Sonofabitch...'_  
  
The grey-faced one looks her up and down, "SPARTAN? What does that stand for?"  
  
Carmen disengages her helmet locks and seals and removes her helmet, ignoring the question, "Ambassador, may I use your holoprojecter?"  
  
"Of course..."  
  
She uploads a file from her neural lace to the projector. A building appears, hovering over the desk, "This is the Charles L. Draga museum, named after a local who discovered a fairly large stash of artifacts in a nearby quarry."  
  
"Artifacts?" The other Turian leans forward, interest on his face, "There are certain rules about Prothean artifacts..."  
  
Carmen shakes her head, "One: These artifacts are  _not_  Prothean, and Two: We are not members of the Council, so we are not _required_  to follow Council rulings..."  
  
Udina steps between the now bristling alien and Shepard, "Now, now. We're here about the  _security_  of the conference, not talk about topics  _of_  the conference."  
  
The two nod, Shepard turns back to the projected building, "Now, the building will be surrounded by four platoons of ODST, with heavy anti-air and anti-infantry weapons dug in. There will be two SPARTAN teams in Defender armor acting as a quick-reaction force." Dots appear scattered around the building and on the roof.  
  
"Should we come under attack we escort the diganities to the courtyard  _here."_ A star appears on a small rear courtyard, "From there we will gravlift them to a cruiser that will be waiting in geo-sync orbit."  _'And then a full QR fleet will sweep in and mop up the rest.'_  
  
The more friendly one nods, "This sounds very thought out, but... ODST? Grav...Lift? I'm afraid I don't understand..."  
  
"ODSTs stands for Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. They're, as the name suggests, dropped from orbit to act as reinforcements or a vanguard of a attacking force. They're the elite of the SA marines. And as for gravlifts..." She uploads a different file, "They're a Covenant innovation. They act like two magnets, temporary reversing gravity in a localized area allowing high-speed movement between two places like a elevator. Be it between two floors of a building or..."  
  
A video starts playing, showing a group of SPARTANs and Sanghelli Rangers using a gravlift to drop onto a Jiralhanae position, "...Between a ship and the ground."  
  
"I... see..." **  
**

* * *

 **Charles L. Draga Museum, that night**  
  
 _'God, I hate parties...'_ Carmen takes a sip from her sparkling grape juice, mentally cursing the fact she was on duty and that all she had was her dress M6 (the plasma knife she had hidden up her sleeve had  _totally_ slipped her mind...). Meaning no getting lucky tonight or decent weaponry if the conference came under attack...  
  
"Ah, Lieutenant Commander. So good to see you again..." Ambassador Udina appeared, the Asari ambassador standing next to him.  
  
"Ambassadors..."  _'Damnit how do I get out of this...?'_  
  
"Allow me to introduce Matriarch Benezina T'Soni..."  
  
 ** _*Beep_  Intruder detected in East Wing***  
  
 _'Oh thank GOD!'_  Carmen slips her glass onto a passing tray, "Excuse me, Ambassadors. But something has come to my attention that I need to handle."  
  
"Of course, Lieutenant Commander..."  
  
She keys her mike as she slips though the crowd, "I'm on the east wing intruder."  
  
 **"Understood Commander."**

* * *

 **East Wing**  
  
Carmen slipped into the closed wing, her dress pistol drawn.  
  
 _"How far?"_  She whispers  
  
 **"IR shows subject about 50 feet ahead of you and closing, Commander."**  
  
 _"Understood."_  
  
Shepard slips from shadow to shadow, closing on the intruder.   
  
Echoing footsteps alerted Carmen to her approaching target.  
  
With a quick yank of the arm and a spin the intruder was pinned face-first to the wall, held in place with Shepard's M6 between their shoulder-blades.  
  
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Carmen demands as she quickly pats her captive down.  
  
Only finding a omni-tool on the female intruder, Shepard spins her around and takes a step back still covering her. "I  _said..."_    
  
"My, my name is Liara T'Soni..."  
  
 _'Shit...'_  "Any relationship to Ambassador  _Benezia_  T'Soni?"  _'Please say no, please say...'_  
  
"Yes, she's my mother..." _'Damn...'_  
  
Carmen holstered her pistol, "My apologies, Ms. T'Soni. Security detected you and I came to check it out. But, may I ask why you're here? This wing  _is_  closed..."  
  
"I-I'm a archaeologist. These artifacts are  _fascinating!_  I mean, look at this!"  
  
Liara walks to a display, "An  _working_  hard-light device that's over a  _MILLION_  years old! And this!" She gestures to a picture on the wall, "That looks like a Prothean Beacon!"  
  
 **"Commander? Your status?"**  
  
She squeezes her mike key, "I'm five by five, just a lost lamb."  
  
 **"Understood Commander."**  Dispatch acknowledged her  _and_  the 'all-clear' code-phrase, five by five.  
  
Liara looks up from the display case, "What was that..." She flushes, slightly mortified, "...I'm  _so_  sorry! I never asked your name! I'm not always this rude but..."  
  
"Carmen."  
  
"...but this is  _so_  exciting and I'm sorry what was that?"  
  
"My name. Is Carmen Shepard."  
  
"I~I see..." Liara blushes  
  
Carmen smiles and tucks Liara's arm into her, deepening Lirara's blush, "Why don't we head back to the party and you tell me about some of your work?"

* * *

"...and then he passed out and fell right on his face!" Carmen chuckles as Liara finishes her story about a Salarian in her archaeology class who had activated a Prothean device no one else had while he was drunk.   
  
"Liara,  _there_  you are..." Matriarch Benezia strolled up, her white dress(An exact copy of what Liara was wearing.) flaring behind her.  
  
"M~mother!"  
  
"Where have you  _been?_  I wanted to introduce you to the Sanghelli Councilor and the Human..." Liara shrank back, her gentle hand on Carmen's arm turning into a deathgrip.  
  
"She was with me."  
  
Benezia turned her gaze from her daughter to the SPARTAN, "Excuse me?"  
  
"The reason I was called away earlier was because Liara here was curious about some of the artifacts in the East wing."  
  
"I see..." She sighed, "...still playing in the dirt Liara? How...  _disappointing..."_  
  
"I~I'm sorry mother..." Liara's face fell.  
  
Carmen stiffen, disliking the way Benezia was talking to Liana.  
  
"Now, I believe I just saw the Terran ambassador..."  
  
"Eh- _em!"_  
  
Benezia turned back to Carmen, "Yes, Commander?"  
  
"I  _believe_  I wasn't done showing Liara around."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Yes, ex- _cuse_  us."  
  
Carmen lead Liara away, her mouth a firm line. After a few steps she takes in Liara's gob-smacked face, "What's wrong?"   
  
"I~I don't think  _anyone's_  ever talked to my mother like that... in  _centuries!_ "  
  
She snorts, "Then people need to talk back to her more often then."  
  
She lead Liara onto the dance-floor, "Your mother... I'm sorry if this seems rude, but she's a bitch."  
  
"Wha...?"  
  
"Walking all over your dreams like that... I mean, we  _just_  met and I can tell you  _love_  archaeology, piecing the past together..."  
  
"She~she just wants what's best for me..." Liara fumbles out.  
  
"No, she wants you to  _be_  her. All cold and scary..."  
  
Liara chuckles as Carmen starts leading her in a simple waltz.   
  
"What?"  
  
"You're the first person to back-talk my mother in  _centuries_  and then call her  _scary?_  
  
"Well, the last time I saw eyes like your mother was..."  
  
Liara takes in Shepard's frown, "Was where?"  
  
"...was on Mindoir..."  
  
"...Mindoir?"  
  
 ** _*beep_  Gravity fluctuations detected at the Relay. Commander Shepard, please report to CIC.  _*beep_  Gravity fluctuations detected at the Relay. Commander Shepard, please report to CIC...**  
  
Carmen lead Liara to the edge of the dance-floor, "Liara... I've got to go, I'll be back as soon as possible..."  
  
"Oh.." Liara watched as the woman who had defended her from her mother disappear and the person who had threaten to  _shoot_  her stalk her way thru the crowd.  
 **  
**

* * *

 **The History of the System Alliance: Mindoir**  
  
A minor Human colony settled 2540(Military Calendar) on the border of Unified Earth Government and the Sangheili Imperium, it quickly rose to prominence after the incident 2556... **{Request More Information?}**


	4. Chapter 4

**The next morning**

**Floor 2 Room 204**

**The main conference room**

Udina stood as Ambassador T'Soni entered, Saren following after, "Greeting Ambassador T'Soni may I introduce my colleague?"

Benezia nodded as she sat, Saren taking his post by the door,"Of course, Ambassador."

Udina gestured toward the Sangheili sitting beside him, "May I introduce Senator John 'Vadam, of New Sangheilios?"

Benezia gave him a nod, "Greeting, Senator."

He gives her a deep sitted bow, "Greeting Ambassador T'Soni, may these negotiations bring greater understanding and peace."

"And on that note," Udina sat and pulled out a tablet, "Let us began."

**[break]**

**Several hours, two breaks, and a lunch later.**

Udina felt the beings of a ANOTHER migraine forming as once again the conversation was steered from reparations to something else. This time it was... The Treaty of... Farixen... Again.

He had to admit, when he had first gotten the assignment he had been excited. A 900 year diplomat? It would be like a simple chess player walking into a interplanetary tournament and being challenged by a multiple grandmaster! Oh, he could win but only by luck.

But instead of a negotiation, this had just been one lecture after another. 'No, you can't do this as a member of the Council.', 'No, as a member of the Council you can't go there.', and 'You must do this if you run into Prothean relics as a member of the Council.'

_'Enough already!'_

"Ambassador T'Soni, may I say something?"

She smiled, giving that tiny xenophobic part of him the willies with how... _human,_ these Asari were. "Of course."

He slid on his most political smile, "May I ask why we keep speaking of various laws and such of Council space? We are simply here to negotiate something beyond the ceasefire we imposed after we dealt with the Turian's relief group."

Benezia's smile faded, shock quickly flickering across her face as these... _primitives_ acted like they could ignore the will of the Council! "I... See. May I ask, what do you mean by Battlegroup?"

"A battle group is a collection of war ships smaller than a fleet, but larger than a detachment." Udina leaned forward and typed on a touch-board, bringing up an holograph of 90 Turian ships. At least... what was left of them. "Like this. This is a Battle group of Heavy Frigates and the light Cruiser that attacked Shanxi, destroying a light Frigate and several freighters that..."

"IMPOSSIBLE!"

Saren stormed towards the projection. "Zoom in. There." He jabs a talon at a gutted ship's bow. "That's what I thought." He turns to this arrogantbareface. "That's the Second fleet, lead by Catharnan! A kilometer long DREADNOUGHT, not a light Cruiser! It's not POSSIBLE it was destroyed by some Sailting FREIGHTERS!"

'Vadam leaned forward, his mandibles half open in shock, "A... Dreadnought so small?"

Benezia pushed past her embers of anger at Saren, her serene smile never leaving her face, "Of course, technology and the Treaty of Farixen limits the length of a Dreadnought to no more then one and a half Kilometers..."

Udina barely avoided giving himself a massive concussion via his forehead colliding with the table... multiple. times. as once _again_ she ignored the topic at hand and began extolling the Citadel Council and its laws.

_'God, she's acting like she expects us to fall to our knees and beg to join her precious Council...'_

_'She probably does... I hope you're having fun Shepard.'_

**[Break]**

**Earlier that morning**

"...Watching the ti~de roll away... Oooooh..." Carmen hummed as she spun her helmet basketball style on her finger. "Hm hm hmm on the dock of the bay, wastin' ti~me..."

The door behind her hissed opened, "Oh! Shepard!"

Carmen turned around, catching her helmet "Are you ready to go?"

Liara nodded, excitement in her eyes, "Oh yes, from what I read about these Forerunners is _fascinating!_ A species older then the Protheans! I wonder if..."

"Ehum?" The black skinned Spectre emerged from behind Liara, "Ah, SPARTAN Shepard, correct? You will be escorting this tour?"

Carmen slipped her helmet onto her belt and brought up her wristtac, "That I am... Nihlusright?" At his nod she projected a small map of the area, "Alright, the convoy will be passing thru town to this location here." She tapped an area about twenty klicks outside town. "The area should be easy to secure thanks to the marine platoon already out there to scare away looters."

Nihlus nodded as he scanned the map, "Very well, shall we go?"

"Follow me."

**[break]**

**Underground parking lot**

"What. Is that?"

Shepard stroked the hood of the hulking six-wheeler, "This is the Puma, a light armored vehicle."

"Light?" Nihlus felt his mandibles widen in shock, "It looks more like light tank!"

"WHAT! Don't say that about ma baby!" Shepard leaned towards the Turian and stage whispered, "She's sensitive about her weight!" Laughter erupted behind the uncomfortable avian as she opened the back hatch and climbed in.

Nihlus spun around, his hand unconsciously dropping to his pistol. Two Humans and a Sangheili were sitting in an open toped 4 wheeled vehicle with a light cannon mounted.

He sniffed and turned to his charge, "Liara, are you ready?"

Shepard popped her head out of the hatch, "Well, come on in!"

Liara smiled nervously "I... Think so."

**[break]**

The inside of the 'Light' vehicle felt fairly large. The three unclaimed seats spacious enough even Nihlus was fairly comfortable, even though the seat wasn't designed for Turians in mind.

Carmen slipped a wire into a socket into the rear of her helmet, "Send handshake"

+Handshake detected, beginning startup.+

A few seconds of code scroll down her helmets HUD as the Puma's engine rumbled to life, +Welcome SPARTAN Shepard, Carmen L.. HUD linkup in 3. 2. 1.+

+Link+

The momentary cool flash arced down her spine as she no longer just saw what was outside her little drivers window but a total 360 view around her vehicle, the top-mounted twin heavy plasma repeaters now linked to her targeting system rotating with her targeting pip.

"Never. Gets. Old."

"What was that Shepard?"

And with a blink she no longer saw the Puma in all its glory but Liara with a slightly worried look in her eye.

"I'm fine. This is... God... Control, do I really have to say it?"

+Come on, Shepard, it ain't that bad!+

"Shut UP Jun. *sigh* Control, this is... ...Little Bo Peep, I have the sheep."

Laughter echoed thru her comms as she and her following 'sheepdog' drove from the underground parking lot.

**[break]**

"By the spirits, how many species are you in contact with?" Nihlus asks as he stared at his small halo-screen at the mélange of new aliens walking, talking, and buying in the open air market on the outskirts of the town. Tall ones covered with metal and whose flesh squirming like a Turian delicacy call Sunm-Kic, a rare worm that was served live...

...To little ones who could probably pass as volus if they had been suited up wattling by.

Carmen rubbed her chin, "Ehhh... Well, there's the Sangheili, the Lekgolo, the Unggoy, the Yanme _Whoa!"_

She smashed on the brakes just as a massive purple-ist stalk slammed in front of them. Liara and Nihlus gawked at the massive vehicle walkingabove them as the comm crackled +Little Bo peep, this is control. Be advised that the AA Scarab is being retasked.+

"No shit! I nearly got stepped on! What the hell is going on?"

+There's a massive Jiralhanae raid ongoing, hitting multiple systems. Both fleets are being redeployed to help so we're retasking various assets.+

"Understood. You hear that boys?"

+Yep+ +Heard and understood+ +Yes Ma'am+

All of a sudden something touched her shoulder.

Nihlus froze, the pistol barrel under his jaw icy cold. _'By the spirits! I've see_ Drell _move slower...'_ "Shepard! What's. Going. On."

Carmen slowly lowered the weapon, "... Sorry bout that. I was just informed that several of our systems are under attack by raiders."

"I see, are we returning to the Museum?"

"No, the ruins are closer. And if anything safer."

"Understood..."

**[break]**

**A few minutes later, about a klick from the site.**

+Hey Carmen+

"What's up Jun?"

+Remember Solar 12?+

Shepard's fingers tightened on the driving yoke, "You feeling it too?"

+Yup+

"Damnit, I was hoping I was just being jumpy..."

**Close by**

_"Brother, two vehicles approach."_

_+We cannot allow them to disrupt our search for the beacon the Prophet foretold of! Destroy them quickly before they inform others to our presence!+_

_"I understand brother._ He turned to his minions, his plasma launcher raised, _"Prepare yourselves, the enemies of the Prophet approach!"_

Unggoy squealed and the Kig-Yar grumbled as the Sangheili minor herded them into a firing line.

The Minor peered down his scope at approaching vehicles, his 'Righteous' fury burning in his chest, _"FIRE! IN THE NAME OF THE PROPHET, FIRE!_

**Back in the Puma**

Carmen's eyes widen as over a dozen plasma rounds suddenly erupted towards them.

"Everyone hold on." Carmen called out as she yanked the yoke, "It's going to get a bit bumpy!"


End file.
